Data collected during the corona crisis shows that Danes are among the most adept at changing behavior. We have been concerned enough to listen and optimistic enough to act.
Behavioral scientist at Roskilde University Pelle Guldborg Hansen explains the Danes’ success by saying that we have the right framework for changing behavior in a crisis like the corona. Denmark is a country with good conditions for working from home, with a health safety net, a strong understanding of viruses and a lot of information, he says.
The Danes have behaved well during the crisis and that doesn’t surprise him. “We may have a perception that we are rebellious, but among foreign colleagues, Danes are known for living a ‘synchronous lifestyle’ where people follow each other and rarely reflect on why they do what they do,” says Pelle Guldborg Hansen:
“Denmark is known as the voluntary North Korea.”
